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Coach Speak

A decoder for the language coaches use during recruiting. What "we like him" actually means. When "stay in touch" is real.

3 articles in this category

Rental car parked alone at the edge of a darkened high school football field at dusk, sodium lamp casting amber light, a helmet resting on the trunk

Jul 19, 2026Rudy Carpenter

Who calls during the dead period is the most honest signal

Six weeks into the dead period, the frequency and source of a program's phone calls has been saying things the coaches will not say in public.

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Empty college football film room at dusk with a paused play on the wall-mounted display and an open notebook on the desk.

May 31, 2026Rudy Carpenter

What 'they evaluate great' actually means coming from another coach

Two anonymous Big Ten coaches praised Illinois and Minnesota for the same trait. It's the most useful sentence a family will read about recruiting all year.

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Two figures from behind walking down a tree-lined college campus path at dusk toward warm-lit athletic building windows.

May 24, 2026Rudy Carpenter

Why spring official visits do not carry the weight they used to

Coaches at Georgia Tech, Alabama, and Purdue are openly saying spring official visits have lost their weight in 2026. Here is what that means for families.

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